Want to celebrate Christmas at a Veterans Affairs hospital? You better do it under a desk or in a broom closet.

The VA hospital in Salem, Virginia sent an email this week to all workers banning Christmas trees in “public places within the hospital.”

Administrators contend that as a government institution, “the public should not think the government endorsed one religion over another,” according to the email.

“Displays must not promote any religion. Please note that trees (regardless of the types of ornaments used) have been deemed to promote the Christian religion and will not be permitted in any public areas this year,” the email reads, according to CBS 6.

“Employees are permitted to engage in private religious expression in their personal work areas that are not regularly open to the public. Religious expression will be permitted as long as it does not interfere with carrying out of official duties and responsibilities.”

Here’s the full notice, courtesy of WSLS:

“Items must be displayed in a manner such that the viewing public would reasonably understand the religious expression to be that of the employee acting in their own personal capacity and not of the government itself,” the notice reads.

“If an employee’s supervisor has previously granted them permission to listen to music in their personal work area, they should be reminded that music travels and should be secular (non-religious) and appropriate to the work environment.”